


I Can Feel You in My Skin Like Poison

by Fnuggi



Series: markus x reader [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Author's first language is not english, F/M, Past Death of a child, loss of a child, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 05:43:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20595653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fnuggi/pseuds/Fnuggi
Summary: He was the last person you expected to see that night.





	I Can Feel You in My Skin Like Poison

The weather was freezing.

The thought comes to you suddenly, unbidden and it strikes you as odd, considering everything that’s going on around you. Technically, you’re one of the few people in your assembled group that’s actually bothered by it and the thought makes you all the more determined to stick it out.

After all, your discomfort is nothing compared to what the androids of Detroit have been through in the past week.

As if reading your mind, Markus comes up next to you.

“You’re cold” He says, reaching into the oil drum in front of you. Seconds later, a fire is going and you sigh contently.

Damn it, maybe you had been colder than you thought.

“I’ll manage” you reply with a tight-lipped smile.

Markus wasn’t buying it. “You shouldn’t have to. I-”

“Markus, we’ve talked about this” You interrupt him. “I’m not going anywhere”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt”

“I know” You say, your smile softening.

Neither of you speak after that, both enjoying the momentary peace. If it hadn’t been for the army standing between you and the camp you’ve come to liberate, you could almost forget why you were there.

You knew the peace couldn’t last, but you hadn’t expected it to end like it did. It felt like your heart was trying to beat its way out of your chest at the sound of the familiar voice.

His voice.

Fighting down the fear that was trying to claw its way up the back of your throat you almost missed North’s words.

“Markus, he’ll kill you if you go out there” The pleading tone in her voice was enough to bring you back to the present.

Before Markus can respond, you speak.

“Let me go instead” You say. Markus and North both turn to you with matching looks of disbelief on their faces that in any other situation would have been comical.

“And what’s to stop him from simply killing you?” Markus asks incredulously.

“He won’t” For a few long moments, you and Markus make eye contact. You’re not sure what he’s looking for, but he seemed to find it as he gave you a small nod, giving you permission to go.

The crunch of the snow under your boots as you jumped down from the barricade seems impossibly loud in the quietness of the night. It’s as if the whole world is holding its breath, waiting to see what happens next.

Your breathing is measured and deep as you walk across the plaza to face your ex-husband, Richard Perkins.

If he’s surprised to see you, he doesn’t show it. “So, they’ve turned you against me too” 

“No, you did that yourself” You reply.

“Then why are you here?”

“To ask you to stop what you’re doing” Deep down, you know it won’t make a difference, but you have to try.

“They took our son from us” The hatred in Richard’s voice as he spoke was like a physical blow and you had to swallow hard before you could speak again.

“An android-” you began, making sure to emphasize the first two words “-killed our son. These people had nothing to do with it”

“People” He spits the word, as if he’s tasted something vile. “They’re not people. They’re machines, made to serve and they will never be anything more than that”

“I see” Your face is carefully neutral as you speak. “If that is truly what you believe, then I have nothing more to say to you”

The last thing you expect to hear as you turn to walk back to the barricade is the sound of a gun being fired.

You have no idea who fired it, and to be honest, you don’t particularly care in that moment. All you can focus on, is the sound of a body collapsing on the ground.

It’s Richard.

Despite everything that has happened between the two of you, you know deep down that you can’t abandon him, not like this. But as you rush to his side, you know, deep down, that it’s too late. The snow beneath him is dyed a deep red, but you still do your best to stop the bleeding.

When you look up again, you see the wall of people in front of you raise their weapons as one and just like that, you knew you were going to die.

I’s instinct that makes you pull Richard’s body closer to you, as if doing so will keep the bullets from tearing you to pieces. Of course, you know that it won’t, but at that point, all you can do is wait for the pain to come.

But it never does.

Everything is a blur after that. You vaguely remember the feeling of being pulled to your feet and led to a corner of the plaza where you stay while Markus gives his speech and you have no idea how many hours pass, but the next thing you know, you’re at Carl’s place.

Markus is there with you, pressing something warm into your hands. From the scent of it, you can tell that it's your favorite tea and the warmth of it is oddly soothing as it settled in the pit of your stomach.

"I thought I could stop him” You’re staring past Markus as you speak. “Maybe even save him from himself”

Once you start speaking, it’s as if a dam has broken. The words come rushing out along with all the pent up feelings and emotions from earlier in the evening.

Markus, bless his soul, is right there with you, his arms wrapped around you as you fall apart and when you have no more tears left in you, he sat with you quietly until you're ready to talk.

“He wasn’t always like this. There was a time when he was a kind, loving man, but…” You took a deep, shuddering breath. “But losing our son changed him”

“There was a hostage situation involving a deviant who had taken our son. She killed him and then shot herself in the head” Even after all the time that had passed since the incident, speaking of it still hurt.

“He began changing after that. The changes were small at first and maybe that’s why I didn’t notice. Or maybe I did and I just didn’t want to face it” You said with a sad smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

“One day, I just realized that I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t stand by and watch this hateful man kill innocent androids, so I filed for a divorce soon after that and then I came here. Maybe it was foolish of me to think I could save him, but a part of me kept hoping that there’s still be some of the man I loved in there somewhere”

“Hoping for something better is never foolish” Markus said, cupping your face. You lean into his touch, wondering, not for the first time, how it was that Markus always knew what to say to make you feel better.

You knew that the guilt over what had happened tonight would haunt you for long time, but as Markus pulled you to your feet and led you to your shared bedroom, you thought that maybe that was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is a bit of a mess, but it's finally done. Hope you like it!


End file.
